John william helton



(No Model.\

J. W. HELTON.

LATCH. v

No. 316,225. I Pafnted Apr. 21, 1885.

NITED STATES PATENT Trice.

JOHN \VILLIAM HELTON, OF WATERLOO, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO M. '1. OWENS, OF SAME PLACE.

LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 316,265, dated April 21, 1885.

Application filed July 21, l884. (No molel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN WM. HELTON, of IVaterloo, in the county of Black Hawk and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Latches; and I do-hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to latches for gates and doors adapted to operate automatically as IO a catch and to be locked in position when the gate or door is closed.

It consists of certain details of construction, all as hereinafter explained.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the latch, the post being in section, the position of the gate and latch, when the gate is open, being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is asection through the post on line 0000 of Fig. 1, showing in end elevation the locking-bolt. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the latch and catch.

In the drawings, A is a pivoted latch, being pivoted at 1 within a case, B, and the vertical motion is limited by the end of the case.

2 A spring, I), presses the latch downward. The latch is provided with a catch, a, adapted to catch over a shoulder, c, fixed to the post. The end of the latch is furnished with an incline, whereby it is adapted automatically to 0 ride on the catch-bar or shoulder. The shank of the catch is provided with a hole, 2, adapt-,

ed to register,when the gate or door is closed, with the bolt of alock, D, set in the post. The bait is arranged so that when thrown it holds the latch down with its shoulder 3 over the catch-bar. I prefer to form the catch-bar out of the metal of the plate E of the lock, and I form this by turning down a flange of the metal cutaway to form the opening for the catch. This flange 4 is made long enough to 0 bear against the shoulder 3, and form a secure stop for the catch. On the opposite side of the latch is a second catch, F, (similar to the first,) which is adapted to catch over a catch block or bar, G, placedin a suitable po- 5 sition to receive the catch when the gate or door is swung back.

The lock may be of any suitable construction adapted for the purpose. I

In order to strengthen the stop,I bend down the end of the flange marked 4 to form a vertical face, 5, against which the face 3 of the catch may bear. This is wholly made out of the metal cut out from the faceplate. It may be used as a stop without the look, if desired.

Having thus described my invention,.what I claim is 1. In combination with a latch and catch provided with a spring and adapted to catch automatically a lock having its bolt adapted to register with a hole in the catch, substantially as described.

2. A stop-bar formed out of the metal of the face-plate, having the flange 4. and faces 5, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN WILLIAM HELTON.

Witnesses:

N. HARTONG, O. J. FULLERTON. 

